VEGETABLE PATCH : A root day through and through — the descending waning crescent draws energy quietly downward. Lift any chinese artichoke tubers still in the ground; they keep best harvested fresh from November through March. Onion sets can still go in at 10 cm apart in the row, rows 25 cm — firm soil contact matters more than people think for good rooting in cold ground. Black radish left in the bed will improve with a frost or two, but lift and store in slightly damp sand if a hard freeze threatens.
ORCHARD : Bare-root raspberry canes are still going in well — plant 50 cm apart, cut canes back to 25 cm after settling them in, and mulch generously around the base. Currant bush and blackcurrant respond equally well to bare-root planting now; space them 1.2 m apart and work a shovelful of compost into each hole before backfilling.
LANDSCAPING : Hellebore planted this week in a lightly shaded corner with moist, humus-rich soil will reward you with blooms as early as February — once in, leave it undisturbed and it will multiply steadily on its own.